Sustainable utilization of Gyrinops walla Gaetner: in vitro production of sesquiterpenes by chemical and biological elicitation

BACKGROUND: The recent recovery of Gyrinops walla as a potential producer of market-quality agarwood in mature damaged woods and branches has led to the intense illicit felling and exportation of G. walla leading to the verge of extinction from Sri Lankan flora. The sustainable utilization of G. walla undoubtedly enhances the foreign exchange of the country and the non-destructive utilization through tissue culture–based techniques is the only option available for sustainable exploitation and conservation of the vulnerable species. Healthy calli and cell suspensions were chemically and biologically elicited with salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ), and the sterilized fungal homogenate (carbohydrate equivalents) of Fusariym oxysporum, Phaeocremonium parasitica, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride, Penicillium commune and Lasidiplodia theobromae fungal strains, respectively. The elicited calli and cell suspensions were harvested at different time periods to extract sesquiterpenes. RESULTS: Sesquiterpenes were produced in calli under chemical elicitors with media concentrations of 10 μM SA, 100 μM SA, 10 mM MJ and 1 mM MJ and cell suspensions under 0.5 μM SA and 0.1 mM MJ. Phaeocremonium parasitica, Trichoderma viride and Lasidiplodia theobromae were more effective in the production of sesquiterpenes in G. walla callus and cell suspension by biological elicitation. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study led to the conclusion of the possibility of induction of production of sesquiterpenes through elicitation of G. walla calli and cell suspension in an in vitro system for sustainable utilization and conservation endeavours.